Business Management with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)
Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.
The BA (Hons) Business Management with Foundation year course at Birmingham City Business School provides a valuable introduction to the management of key resources including human capital, financial management, strategic management and cultural awareness....
- Level Foundation
- Study mode Full Time
- Award BA (Hons)
- Start date September 2025
- Fees View course fees
- Subject Business and Management
- Location City Centre
This course is:
Open to International Students
Overview
The BA (Hons) Business Management with Foundation year course at Birmingham City Business School provides a valuable introduction to the management of key resources including human capital, financial management, strategic management and cultural awareness. We create graduates who possess a global outlook, with the conceptual and applied knowledge in the field of business management that will enable them to make a positive impact on society.
The foundation year is designed to give you the opportunity to develop your academic and interpersonal skills whilst developing your business skills further to support you to success on your academic path. You will gain specialist knowledge on a number of core functions of management, building your self-confidence to prepare you for a progressive and successful career in management. Exciting opportunities including integrated work projects and business placements in the UK or abroad are all featured in your course, therefore your career can start whilst achieving your qualification. You will have the benefit of renowned industry speakers and live projects to inspire and help you to develop.
The international focus of the course is derived through a variety of means including the student body, the teaching team and the use of international teaching materials. Moreover, you can choose to spend a year or a full semester studying your modules overseas at a partner institution. Similarly, the Business Management course embeds the UN Sustainable Development Goals as an integral part of the course.
Tailor your Business Degree
When you successfully complete your Foundation Year, you will be able to progress onto a range of Undergraduate courses at the Birmingham City Business School. These include:
What's covered in this course?
The development and operation of contemporary and international business markets will be embraced in your learning. This will also include the management of key resources including human capital, financial management, strategic management and cultural awareness. You’ll gain an important insight into digital business exploring how technology remodels the business world and consider the accompanying issues around social responsibility and ethical behaviour.
This course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). This ensures you’ll be provided with the latest information and knowledge, as well as providing key industry links and insight. Success on the programme will additionally award you with a CMI professional certificate.
Accredited By
This course is accredited by:
Why Choose Us?
- We have a strong focus on employability and through placement opportunities and our links with local businesses, we aim to ensure you graduate not only with your degree but also with the skills and knowledge needed to embark on your chosen career.
- The STEAMhouse offers amazing opportunities for entrepreneurial students to kick start and build a business. Services available include the Incubator which helps focus and solidify business ideas and the Hatchery which offers support in getting your business off the ground.
- We pride ourselves on being the University for Birmingham and supporting and giving something back to the local business community. We have strong links with local businesses in the city across several industries. These links help us enhance students’ experiences by giving them access to industry experts for guest lectures, exciting placement opportunities and other chances to engage with the business community as a whole.
- We aim to infuse learning with exposure to real-world experiences. We give students the chance to work on real-life projects using industry-standard software and with real-world clients where possible, offering a unique opportunity for students to gain this invaluable experience while they study.
- This course is accredited and meets the high standards of the Chartered Management Institute.
Open Days
Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation.
Next Open Day: 19 October 2024
Entry Requirements
These entry requirements apply for entry in 2025/26.
All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.
Essential requirements
80 UCAS Tariff points. Learn more about UCAS Tariff points.
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 4 Years
- £9,250 in 2025/26
- Apply via UCAS
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 4 Years
- £17,690 in 2025/26
Guidance for UK/EU students
UK and EU students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.
Applying through UCAS
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Course in Depth
Foundation Year
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
This module will help guide you to develop the essential academic skills required to be successful in Higher Education and introduce essential business skills required in the business context.
This module will help you develop a range of essential skills required to be successful in Higher Education as well as developing key employability skills in the business context.
This module will provide you with an introduction to the business environment to help you develop an understanding of how key elements affects business and their different functions.
The Foundation Practice Project module is a practical piece of extended work related to your chosen degree. It will require you to apply the knowledge and skills developed throughout your current level of study and will enhance your ability to work individually and as part of a team.
This module will provide you with an introduction to the business environment to help you develop an understanding of how key elements affects business and their different functions.
This module will introduce you to the basics of accounting but from a personal perspective. You will be able to examine the various factors that affect personal finances at various stages of an individual’s life.
First Year
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
This module will introduce you to the field of business management with the focus on the processes and actions within an organisational context. Concepts like management theory, organisational behaviour and the HR role of a manager will be explored.
Have you ever considered why you bought your smartphone? Or why you ate in that fast food restaurant? Or why you decided to buy that brand of trainers? Every day, billions of people spend their money on products and services without necessarily considering why they decided to buy those particular offerings. Whether you are aware of it or not, each of these products and services have been carefully developed to fulfil the needs of a particular target audience of which you may be a part.
Whilst your degree is a highly valued indicator of achievement and ability for employers, a successful career is also dependent on the development of the right attitudes and behaviours. This is reflected in the findings from a recent survey undertaken by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which identifies that, in addition to qualifications, 60% of employers also look for broader skills when recruiting individuals straight from education.
This module will introduce you to the concept of entrepreneurship. You will study the basic concepts and theories in entrepreneurship, considering how entrepreneurs develop and grow individually. In order to achieve this there will be a range of case studies of successful/unsuccessful entrepreneurs, understanding of entrepreneurship across borders and exploration as to what extent success of entrepreneurs could be based on traits, styles and behaviours of the entrepreneurs.
The aim of this module is to allow you to understand supply chain, logistics, operations management, and their implementation in real businesses. You will gain an understanding of each operational function including procurement, manufacturing, inventory, distribution and delivery, and customer service following the supply chain and how each works together to run the business as a whole function.
This module will provide a gentle introduction to the world of accounting and finance for business managers of the future and is designed for those new to accounting or those studying on non-accounting related degree programmes.
Second Year
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits).
The aim of this module is to provide you with the knowledge, skills and insights to research a ‘live’ issue in your industry with a view to formulating a practicable, impactful and value-added research project proposal which can be actioned in the final year. To this end you will be taught the key stages of methods in research. This includes learning how to identify research problems, select appropriate research methodology, collect and analyse data and write up compelling research proposals.
In order to help you implement you research proposal in your final year, you will also be introduced to core concepts and theories relating to project management to ensure you have the tools to successfully complete large scale research projects in the future. This model offers a successful strategy for designing, implementing and evaluating high performing projects.
An important question for business management students is: How can we most effectively manage for both today and for tomorrow? This module will introduce you to various current contemporary management issues.
In this module, you are given opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of the development of soft skills, necessary for a manager, to prepare you for the for placement activities and for modern working life. During the module, you are given the opportunity to record your competencies using online recruitment platforms.
Data-driven decision-making in organisations is reliant on good analytical techniques and reporting. Many organisation are heavily data-driven, treating their data as a corporate asset and finding ways of turning the information gained into competitive advantage. This module introduces you to data analytics and its reporting from a practical standpoint, gaining insights into customer behaviours and reactions, allowing you to make decisions to manage the business.
In today’s complex and highly dynamic global business environment, managers are expected to possess and utilise the requisite skills and sound application of knowledge to set and meet goals. This module takes a practitioner based, blended learning approach towards embedding key management and leadership principles in the global context, as well as intercultural competency and a range of transferable employability skills. Consequently, it provides a progressive conduit for you to gain a broad understanding of global issues affecting managers today as well as preparing you to be global managers of the future.
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules.
This module will give an integrative perspective of the business organisation and underpinning knowledge of Supply Chain, Logistics and Operations Management. It provides students with an introduction to the management principles, processes and the environment within which the Supply Chain manager operates. Core to the module will be an examination of management decision-making and the range of tools and techniques used to support the Supply Chain process.
In this module you will explore the role of entrepreneurship and small business management with the view of sustainability. You will investigate and explore how organisations firstly form, then how they begin to evolve and be introduced to the planning required to establish the feasibility of a new venture, firstly with the idea and then how it will operate. You will use the opportunity recognition process to identify potential ideas either as a business start-up, a new venture in an existing business or a social enterprise, and taken forward as a solution to a contemporary issue.
There are many similarities between the roles of managers and management consultants. In fact, managers are often considered to be ‘internal consultants’, as Butler (2010) comments “An effective manager is increasingly an effective consultant”.
This module, where a programme of study enables it, is open to Business School students, who choose to undertake an international Study Abroad mobility experience within their second year of study. The aim of this module is to enable you to explore your mobility experience through a cross-cultural lens that focusses on the key themes of your discipline in an international context, together with your personal development. This is achieved by activities that draw on research enquiry, creativity, culture, reflection and professional development.
All core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
Final Year
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):
This module will provide you with a critical understanding of the concepts, frameworks and approaches for the effective management of strategic change and its leadership. Consideration will also be given to the complexity of business operations, the rapid pace of technological innovation, and globalisation of businesses.You will explore drivers and challenges of strategic change in an organisational context as well as approaches for successful implementation of various change interventions.
The nature of today’s global business environment means that contemporary organisations are faced with a range of challenges and opportunities presented by increasing levels of uncertainty, ambiguity and complexity. In order to be successful organisations need to find ways to work with and indeed proactively exploit these conditions.
This module introduces you to a range of advance strategic management tools and techniques with which to analyse and thus understand business situations with national and international relevance. In addition, an understanding of competitive behaviour will be informed by a variety of views concerning the sources of competitive advantage, sustainable competitive advantage from a theoretical and industry perspective.These include the implications of developments in the macro environment, industry structure, the organization’s strategic position in an industry, the acquisition and development of resources and capabilities, and the challenge of industry evolution to sustaining competitive advantage.
The aim of this module is to provide a framework for you to undertake a substantial piece of disciplinary-relevant research. It is founded upon Birmingham City Business School’s teaching and learning philosophy which integrates theory and practice.
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.
This module focuses on the strategic management issues and decision-making approaches in the context of International Supply Chain and Operations Strategy. You will study strategic supply chain decision-making, focusing on areas such as corporate strategy, globalisation, procurement and outsourcing, international management, and strategic alliances. Core to the module will be an examination of management decision-making, and the range of tools and techniques used to support global strategic supply chain operations. The module content has also received recognition by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)’s.
This module focuses on issues relating to the management and growth of a SME (Small, Medium enterprise) or social enterprises. This module will help you to identify ways in which the enterprise can upscale using internal and external resources.
The issues of ethics, social responsibility and sustainability in business have moved from the marginal to the mainstream during the last 40 years. With the impact of consumption running at 1.6 planet’s worth of resources each year, society is increasingly looking to develop a long-term, sustainable vision for the future that takes into account not only the economic factors of business, but also considers the social and environmental impact of decisions.
All core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
Download course specification
Download nowChartered Management Institute
This course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). This means that you can achieve the Level 5 CMI Certificate in Management and Leadership alongside your degree. The award is conditional on successfully completing the Honours degree programme in the appropriate module areas.
Employability
Enhancing employability skills
You will have opportunities to undertake live projects with real employers, and study contemporary relevant business issues, developing the capability to manage the complexity and uncertainty of the contemporary workplace.
Business Management, and its associated programmes, incorporate modules specifically designed to build a professional and independent approach to study which facilitates lifelong learning.
International
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Details of the entry requirements for our courses
- Some of the good reasons why you should study here
- How to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Information relevant to applicants from your country
- Where to find financial support for your studies.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent £400 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Social Sciences, Law and Business students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The Business floors house an extensive number of IT facilities, breakout areas, and specialised rooms. The Marketing Link Agency is designed to replicate a modern marketing firm, allowing students to get real-life experience of working in the marketing sector. There is also the City Trading Room, which features state of the art stock market tracking equipment, keeping you up to date with all the financial comings and goings of the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street.
The Curzon building is also conveniently close to Birmingham’s business and financial centre, allowing for strong links between your studies and the real world.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Our staff
Dr Richard Oddy
Deputy Head of the College of Business, Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship
Dr Richard E. Oddy is the Deputy Head of Business, Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship. He has developed and launched a number of new courses in these specific fields, and has over a decade of teaching experience at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
More about Richard